In today's large image forming apparatus or multi-function printer (MFP) environments, some print jobs contain resources in the data stream that the multi-function printer can save in its internal hard disk. The resources contained in the data stream can be in the form of a bitmap. When the resource is saved in the hard disk, a file name is preferably assigned to the resource for later use. It can be appreciated that the resources can include but are not limited to graphics/images, logos, form overlays, fonts, barcodes, graphic bitmaps, etc.
At a later time, if the user runs a similar job using the same resources, the print job will include a “call-out”, which identifies the resource file name within the data. It can be appreciated that the print job does not need to include the bitmaps for the resource once again, since the resource is already stored on the multi-function printer's hard disk from the previous job. Typically, the multi-function printer can choose if it wants to store the resource directly from the data stream, or, if it wants to store the resource after it has gone through image processing routines (e.g., color matching and half toning).
It can be appreciated that when a print job is submitted to the multi-function printer that includes a “call-out” (i.e., a resource's file name), the multi-function printer may not have the resource stored on the multi-function printer's system or hard disk. When this happens, the multi-function printer can substitute the requested resource with a similar resource, or alternatively, the multi-function printer can use a default resource.
It would be desirable in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, that if the resource is not available on the multi-function printer, the multi-function printer (or image forming apparatus) is configured to search and receive the resource from another device within a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and/or World Wide Web (cloud).